Chronological
Healing Again on the Sabbath
14 Now[a] one Sabbath when Jesus went to dine[b] at the house of a leader[c] of the Pharisees,[d] they were watching[e] him closely. 2 There[f] right[g] in front of him was a man whose body was swollen with fluid.[h] 3 So[i] Jesus asked[j] the experts in religious law[k] and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath[l] or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So[m] Jesus[n] took hold of the man,[o] healed him, and sent him away.[p] 5 Then[q] he said to them, “Which of you, if you have a son[r] or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 But[s] they could not reply[t] to this.
On Seeking Seats of Honor
7 Then[u] when Jesus[v] noticed how the guests[w] chose the places of honor,[x] he told them a parable. He said to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast,[y] do not take[z] the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host.[aa] 9 So[ab] the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed,[ac] you will begin to move to the least important[ad] place. 10 But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host[ae] approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’[af] Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but[ag] the one who humbles[ah] himself will be exalted.”
12 He[ai] said also to the man[aj] who had invited him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet,[ak] don’t invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors so you can be invited by them in return and get repaid. 13 But when you host an elaborate meal,[al] invite the poor, the crippled,[am] the lame, and[an] the blind.[ao] 14 Then[ap] you will be blessed,[aq] because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid[ar] at the resurrection of the righteous.”
The Parable of the Great Banquet
15 When[as] one of those at the meal with Jesus[at] heard this, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone[au] who will feast[av] in the kingdom of God!”[aw] 16 But Jesus[ax] said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet[ay] and invited[az] many guests.[ba] 17 At[bb] the time for the banquet[bc] he sent his slave[bd] to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 18 But one after another they all[be] began to make excuses.[bf] The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field,[bg] and I must go out and see it. Please excuse me.’[bh] 19 Another[bi] said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen,[bj] and I am going out[bk] to examine them. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another[bl] said, ‘I just got married, and I cannot come.’[bm] 21 So[bn] the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious[bo] and said to his slave, ‘Go out quickly[bp] to the streets and alleys of the city,[bq] and bring in the poor,[br] the crippled,[bs] the blind, and the lame.’ 22 Then[bt] the slave said, ‘Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.’[bu] 23 So[bv] the master said to his[bw] slave, ‘Go out to the highways[bx] and country roads[by] and urge[bz] people[ca] to come in, so that my house will be filled.[cb] 24 For I tell you, not one of those individuals[cc] who were invited[cd] will taste my banquet!’”[ce]
Counting the Cost
25 Now large crowds[cf] were accompanying Jesus,[cg] and turning to them he said, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate[ch] his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life,[ci] he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross[cj] and follow[ck] me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down[cl] first and compute the cost[cm] to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 Otherwise,[cn] when he has laid[co] a foundation and is not able to finish the tower,[cp] all who see it[cq] will begin to make fun of[cr] him. 30 They will say,[cs] ‘This man[ct] began to build and was not able to finish!’[cu] 31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down[cv] first and determine whether he is able with 10,000 to oppose[cw] the one coming against him with 20,000? 32 If he cannot succeed,[cx] he will send a representative[cy] while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace.[cz] 33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.[da]
34 “Salt[db] is good, but if salt loses its flavor,[dc] how can its flavor be restored? 35 It is of no value[dd] for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out.[de] The one who has ears to hear had better listen!”[df]
The Parable of the Lost Sheep and Coin
15 Now all the tax collectors[dg] and sinners were coming[dh] to hear him. 2 But[di] the Pharisees[dj] and the experts in the law[dk] were complaining,[dl] “This man welcomes[dm] sinners and eats with them.”
3 So[dn] Jesus[do] told them[dp] this parable:[dq] 4 “Which one[dr] of you, if he has a hundred[ds] sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture[dt] and go look for[du] the one that is lost until he finds it?[dv] 5 Then[dw] when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 Returning[dx] home, he calls together[dy] his[dz] friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner[ea] who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people[eb] who have no need to repent.[ec]
8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins[ed] and loses[ee] one of them,[ef] does not light a lamp, sweep[eg] the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 9 Then[eh] when she has found it, she calls together her[ei] friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice[ej] with me, for I have found the coin[ek] that I had lost.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels[el] over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Compassionate Father
11 Then[em] Jesus[en] said, “A man had two sons. 12 The[eo] younger of them said to his[ep] father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate[eq] that will belong[er] to me.’ So[es] he divided his[et] assets between them.[eu] 13 After[ev] a few days,[ew] the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered[ex] his wealth[ey] with a wild lifestyle. 14 Then[ez] after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and worked for[fa] one of the citizens of that country, who[fb] sent him to his fields to feed pigs.[fc] 16 He[fd] was longing to eat[fe] the carob pods[ff] the pigs were eating, but[fg] no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to his senses[fh] he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food[fi] enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned[fj] against heaven[fk] and against[fl] you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me[fm] like one of your hired workers.”’ 20 So[fn] he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home[fo] his father saw him, and his heart went out to him;[fp] he ran and hugged[fq] his son[fr] and kissed him. 21 Then[fs] his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven[ft] and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’[fu] 22 But the father said to his slaves,[fv] ‘Hurry! Bring the best robe,[fw] and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger[fx] and sandals[fy] on his feet! 23 Bring[fz] the fattened calf[ga] and kill it! Let us eat[gb] and celebrate, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again—he was lost and is found!’[gc] So[gd] they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. As[ge] he came and approached the house, he heard music[gf] and dancing. 26 So[gg] he called one of the slaves[gh] and asked what was happening. 27 The slave replied,[gi] ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf[gj] because he got his son[gk] back safe and sound.’ 28 But the older son[gl] became angry[gm] and refused[gn] to go in. His father came out and appealed to him, 29 but he answered[go] his father, ‘Look! These many years I have worked like a slave[gp] for you, and I never disobeyed your commands. Yet[gq] you never gave me even a goat[gr] so that I could celebrate with my friends! 30 But when this son of yours[gs] came back, who has devoured[gt] your assets with prostitutes,[gu] you killed the fattened calf[gv] for him!’ 31 Then[gw] the father[gx] said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours. 32 It was appropriate[gy] to celebrate and be glad, for your brother[gz] was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’”[ha]
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